Roman Numerals

I look like letters you know. Sometimes I’m a straight stick, like the letter I. Sometimes I’m a V, like a pointy rooftop. And sometimes I’m an X, like a kiss at the end of a note. But I’m not for reading words. I’m a secret code for counting. You can see me on big, old clocks and in the names of kings and queens. Do you know who I am? I am Roman Numerals.

I was born a very, very long time ago, around the 9th century BCE, in a place called Ancient Rome. The Roman people needed a way to count everything, from yummy loaves of bread to brave soldiers in a parade. So, they used letters they already knew to make me. It was so simple and so much fun. One little stick, I, meant one. A V was for five, and an X was for ten. To count to three, they just put three sticks together: III. They carved me into big stone buildings to remember important days and wrote me down to keep track of their treasures. I was everywhere, helping everyone count their special things.

Even though you use other numbers to do your math, I’m still around today. I love to play hide-and-seek. You can find me on the face of a fancy watch, telling you the time. You might see me at the very end of a movie, showing the year it was made. Sometimes, I mark the chapters in a book. I am a special link to the past, connecting you to the clever people of Ancient Rome. The next time you spot me, you can say hello and try counting my way: I, II, III.